Monday, December 2, 2013

Amazon's Drones And My Solution

I watched last night how the CEO of Amazon bragged about the possibility that Amazon would be able to use -within the next several years- drones to deliver purchased merchandise to people's homes within 30 min from placing the order (and within 10 miles from a 'fulfillment' center).

That is awesome!

But I think there are better solutions for this problem. Here is the solution I am envisioning.

1. Each household can have a set of drones, each with particular capabilities, (range, duration, etc.) and each with an assigned pad (a 10 x 10 foot area or similar);
2. Each drone has assigned a unique ID, similar to how cell phones, computers, and devices have a unique MAC address;
3. When a household member makes a purchase they can dispatch one of their drones to go fetch it, if within range of the vendor's warehouse;
4. Each drone is associated with a specific home base and a respective landing pad coordinates;
5. When dispatched to retrieve packages, each drone acquires a flight path lease that is unique for a very short period of time (maybe 20 min). This path cannot be used by any other drone for that time frame. Paths can be possibly mapped with radar devices mounted on existing cell towers.
6. Drone signals the coordinates and time elements to a centralized drone paths clearing house and the clearing house stores the fact that the path is 'busy' and cannot be leased to any other drone for that time frame;
7. The centralized clearing house receives updates -from the drone- on current coordinates as the drone flight develops and updates internal database;
8. Drone with specific/authenticated/assigned ID travels to the merchant's warehouse on the uniquely leased flight path, lands on the pad assigned by the merchant and picks up the package;
9. Drone acquires a new path lease from the clearing house, as well as the time elements, and travels back to homebase pad;
10. Drone lands on home pad with assigned package;
11. :) Happy customer and no drone collusion;